Speaking Out:
Theories and Methods of American Abolition
Welcome to my website. In the next few pages, I will highlight prominent abolitionists from the 1800s. Each of the figures I have selected to illustrate the abolitionist movement is unique in their work. While each abolitionist's main cause was to destroy the institution of slavery, the differences between them are clear. In each document, speech and editorial, underlying biases and motives are evident. Through analysis of writings of each of the abolitionists the similarities and the differences between them will become clear. In designing te website, I attempted to make it easy for you to compare and contrast the writings of the different authors by creating an educational page, entitled "Questions for Thought" in which you can easily flip from one document to another. In your reading, it is important to bear in mind the author's personal biases, the audience for whom he or she is writing, and perhaps most importantly his or her motives for writing or speaking.
For the perspective of a white abolitionist, the writings of William Lloyd Garrison are quite possibly the most well-known. They highlight a view on abolition entitled "garrisonianism" that many northerners adopted.
As a man who experienced slavery first-hand, Fredrick Douglass is a prime example of a black abolitionist who escaped from slavery and spoke out against the institution out of loyalty to his race.
Despite the subordinate role of both their sex and race, black women were not exempt from the abolitionist cause. Although she was neither born into slavery, nor enslaved at any point in her life, the speeches and writings of Maria W. Stewart provided the voice of a black female abolitionist who felt there was a dire need to rid the United States of the institution of slavery. It is important to recognize the importance of women in the abolitionist movement.
Don't forget to check out the educational section,"Questions for Thought," after reading each of the documents.
Index of Terms
For further reading and research, check out my bibliography.
Email me your thoughts on the website at arooney@bowdoin.edu
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